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The Brownie Diaries: My Recipes for Happy Days, Heartbreak and Everything in Between
50 modern, mouthwatering recipes for the world's favorite chocolatey treat.
Fun and user-friendly, The Brownie Diaries offers brownie-based solutions to all life's challenges, big and small. From brownies for comfort, like the "Feeling Lonesome Tonight" brownie (an indulgent concoction made from pantry staples such as peanut butter and crumbled cookies), to brownies for celebration, such as the "I Think I Love You" Brownie (with raspberry cheesecake swirl), you'll find the perfect brownie for every occasion among these pages. Stuck indoors on a rainy Sunday afternoon? There's a brownie for that, too, along with brownie-inspired twists on classic recipes for cookies and ice-cream sundaes. Complete with a cocoa-dusted smattering of brownie trivia and quick-fixes to stop your brownies from sinking, The Brownie Diaries is the perfect book for brownie lovers everywhere.
Fun and user-friendly, The Brownie Diaries offers brownie-based solutions to all life's challenges, big and small. From brownies for comfort, like the "Feeling Lonesome Tonight" brownie (an indulgent concoction made from pantry staples such as peanut butter and crumbled cookies), to brownies for celebration, such as the "I Think I Love You" Brownie (with raspberry cheesecake swirl), you'll find the perfect brownie for every occasion among these pages. Stuck indoors on a rainy Sunday afternoon? There's a brownie for that, too, along with brownie-inspired twists on classic recipes for cookies and ice-cream sundaes. Complete with a cocoa-dusted smattering of brownie trivia and quick-fixes to stop your brownies from sinking, The Brownie Diaries is the perfect book for brownie lovers everywhere.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published February 17, 2022
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39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 10, 2022
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Brownie Diaries is a food therapy ode of love to brownies and chocolate-cakey things by Leah Hyslop. Due out 12th April 2022 from Bloomsbury, it's 176 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats, it makes it so easy to find info with the search function if needed.
This is such a fun and upbeat book, crammed with delicious brownie recipes. I've always been a fan of sweets and there are enough varied recipes here to keep the most dedicated brownie fan going for ages. The introduction does a much better than average job of introducing tools and ingredients for brownies and explaining what they do in context in the recipe to make the finished products not too cakey or too gooey or otherwise less-than-perfect.
The following chapters contain the recipes, grouped thematically: brownies for everyday, comfort, celebration (fancy!), and not-quite-traditional-brownie things.
Recipes contain a description and introduction, bullet lists of ingredients (measurements are given in metric units), followed by step-by-step instructions. All the recipes are photographed and illustrations are attractively styled and appetizing. Nearly all ingredients will be readily available at the local grocery store. Tutorial photos are accompanied by clear understandable captions which really help.The book is mostly slanted toward bakers in the UK and ingredient terms are in UK English (caster sugar, sultanas, golden syrup), but substitutions and conversions won't be a problem for readers elsewhere.
Five stars. Sensible. Beautifully written. High production quality throughout.I want to try all these recipes.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Brownie Diaries is a food therapy ode of love to brownies and chocolate-cakey things by Leah Hyslop. Due out 12th April 2022 from Bloomsbury, it's 176 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats, it makes it so easy to find info with the search function if needed.
This is such a fun and upbeat book, crammed with delicious brownie recipes. I've always been a fan of sweets and there are enough varied recipes here to keep the most dedicated brownie fan going for ages. The introduction does a much better than average job of introducing tools and ingredients for brownies and explaining what they do in context in the recipe to make the finished products not too cakey or too gooey or otherwise less-than-perfect.
The following chapters contain the recipes, grouped thematically: brownies for everyday, comfort, celebration (fancy!), and not-quite-traditional-brownie things.
Recipes contain a description and introduction, bullet lists of ingredients (measurements are given in metric units), followed by step-by-step instructions. All the recipes are photographed and illustrations are attractively styled and appetizing. Nearly all ingredients will be readily available at the local grocery store. Tutorial photos are accompanied by clear understandable captions which really help.The book is mostly slanted toward bakers in the UK and ingredient terms are in UK English (caster sugar, sultanas, golden syrup), but substitutions and conversions won't be a problem for readers elsewhere.
Five stars. Sensible. Beautifully written. High production quality throughout.I want to try all these recipes.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
March 29, 2022
I mean how can you not love any cookbook that uses “thwacking great” as a term to describe their brownies? The author has a way of making even the most mundane ingredients sound exciting. You can totally get her love affair with the brownie through this book and I love her for it.
The recipes are easy to follow and most have easily found ingredients (or she tells you what you can use instead. Don’t have this special flour? Sod it use regular). There are a few recipes that we may have issues finding in America but I mean you can order anything on the internet right?
Highly delightful cookbook!
The recipes are easy to follow and most have easily found ingredients (or she tells you what you can use instead. Don’t have this special flour? Sod it use regular). There are a few recipes that we may have issues finding in America but I mean you can order anything on the internet right?
Highly delightful cookbook!
April 13, 2022
Hard to rate since I somehow got the British version. Did the release today not Americanize the recipes, or did I just get an overseas edition somehow? In any case, very creative and Hyslop’s voice is delightful.
January 11, 2022
I’ll admit that I was sucked in by the promise of the publisher’s blurb for this cookbook. My life could use a few brownie based solutions for its big and small challenges. I was really hoping that this would be a contemporary reboot of Culinarytherapy by Beverley West, which is my favorite cozy cookbook from twenty years ago, except with all the foods being different types of brownies. The Brownie Diaries didn’t exactly fulfill that promise because it wasn’t nearly as prescriptive as “if you’re feeling this, make that,” but this was an awesome cookbook because it was just so diverse and hilarious.
The Brownie Diaries cookbook begins with twenty-five pages or so of introductory material. After supporting the book’s primary hypothesis that a brownie can make any situation better, the introductory material turns into Brownie School, which examines the four key stages of making brownies. There was some really interesting information in the Brownie School section, such as which ingredients provide structure and how to treat those ingredients in order to obtain the best not too cakey not too gooey result. The next subsections in the introductory material deal with equipment and ingredients necessary to make good brownies. The recommendation is for a 20 centimeter square tin because that’s what all the recipes were tested in. That converts 7.87 inches, so I’d probably use an 8 inch square pan in my New England kitchen. With respect to chocolate, the recommendation is for 70% cocoa solids when dark chocolate is called for and 30% cocoa solids when milk chocolate is called for. So much for my tendency to use store brand semisweet chocolate chips in my brownie baking!
After the introductory material, the recipes were organized into four chapters: brownies for everyday, brownies for comfort, brownies for celebration, brownies (sort of). Because this is not an American book, the ingredients are measured by weight in grams and temperatures are measured in Celsius and by Gas Marks. These are minor obstacles that, if necessary, can be easily overcome by changing the setting on the kitchen scale and asking Siri to convert into Fahrenheit. There were a few unique ingredients - like custard powder and certain British chocolate candies - but most of the oddities were just British terms in need of translation (yes, raisins can be used for sultanas). In general, the recipe steps are clearly written and quite descriptive, with some entertaining wit tossed in when the opportunity arose. Almost every recipe is accompanied by a full color photograph of the finished brownie, usually quite cheeky in its styling.
The first four everyday brownie recipes were very basic, which I expected. After that, things got interesting, like a strawberry marshmallow layered brownie, an ancho chile and toffee popcorn brownie, a stout and peanut brownie, and a pistachio rose blondie. There were also recipes for vegan, gluten-free, and vegetable-laden brownies. The comfort chapter began with a Friday night special, which included red wine and was topped by a rich chocolate ganache. I really didn’t have to read much further. But I did, and I discovered later recipes that included gin with lime and scotch whisky (with a shortbread crust). There was a recipe for a single-serve microwave mug brownie, which required cocoa powder rather than chocolate. As well as no bake brownie, which includes dates and rolled oats. Butternut squash is used in another recipe as a sweetener to create a lighter brownie. The celebration chapter kicked off with a red raspberry red velvet cheesecake brownie and then a brownie version of millionaire’s shortbread. There’s an Easter brownie that includes mini eggs and chocolate egg shards and a Halloween brownie that includes pumpkin purée. And a wedding brownie. And a birthday brownie. And even a Guy Fawkes brownie. At the end of this chapter are questions and answers about common brownie problems. I love the answer to “how can I keep brownies from going stale?” - which is to eat faster or to make more friends. The last chapter is about baked goods other than brownies, like cookies, cobblers, tiramisu, trifles, truffles and so on.
This seems to be a very British book, which makes the narrative portions of the book super amusing to my American mind. The omnipresent word “squidgey,” as well its comparative and superlative forms, just makes me laugh. And some of the uniquely British imagery - like eggs being the stern headmistress of brownie school or a test toothpick emerging with a sexy cladding of crumbs - is really entertaining.
I received this book as a digital advance reader copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. I haven’t made any of the recipes from this book yet, but I will update this review when I do.
The Brownie Diaries cookbook begins with twenty-five pages or so of introductory material. After supporting the book’s primary hypothesis that a brownie can make any situation better, the introductory material turns into Brownie School, which examines the four key stages of making brownies. There was some really interesting information in the Brownie School section, such as which ingredients provide structure and how to treat those ingredients in order to obtain the best not too cakey not too gooey result. The next subsections in the introductory material deal with equipment and ingredients necessary to make good brownies. The recommendation is for a 20 centimeter square tin because that’s what all the recipes were tested in. That converts 7.87 inches, so I’d probably use an 8 inch square pan in my New England kitchen. With respect to chocolate, the recommendation is for 70% cocoa solids when dark chocolate is called for and 30% cocoa solids when milk chocolate is called for. So much for my tendency to use store brand semisweet chocolate chips in my brownie baking!
After the introductory material, the recipes were organized into four chapters: brownies for everyday, brownies for comfort, brownies for celebration, brownies (sort of). Because this is not an American book, the ingredients are measured by weight in grams and temperatures are measured in Celsius and by Gas Marks. These are minor obstacles that, if necessary, can be easily overcome by changing the setting on the kitchen scale and asking Siri to convert into Fahrenheit. There were a few unique ingredients - like custard powder and certain British chocolate candies - but most of the oddities were just British terms in need of translation (yes, raisins can be used for sultanas). In general, the recipe steps are clearly written and quite descriptive, with some entertaining wit tossed in when the opportunity arose. Almost every recipe is accompanied by a full color photograph of the finished brownie, usually quite cheeky in its styling.
The first four everyday brownie recipes were very basic, which I expected. After that, things got interesting, like a strawberry marshmallow layered brownie, an ancho chile and toffee popcorn brownie, a stout and peanut brownie, and a pistachio rose blondie. There were also recipes for vegan, gluten-free, and vegetable-laden brownies. The comfort chapter began with a Friday night special, which included red wine and was topped by a rich chocolate ganache. I really didn’t have to read much further. But I did, and I discovered later recipes that included gin with lime and scotch whisky (with a shortbread crust). There was a recipe for a single-serve microwave mug brownie, which required cocoa powder rather than chocolate. As well as no bake brownie, which includes dates and rolled oats. Butternut squash is used in another recipe as a sweetener to create a lighter brownie. The celebration chapter kicked off with a red raspberry red velvet cheesecake brownie and then a brownie version of millionaire’s shortbread. There’s an Easter brownie that includes mini eggs and chocolate egg shards and a Halloween brownie that includes pumpkin purée. And a wedding brownie. And a birthday brownie. And even a Guy Fawkes brownie. At the end of this chapter are questions and answers about common brownie problems. I love the answer to “how can I keep brownies from going stale?” - which is to eat faster or to make more friends. The last chapter is about baked goods other than brownies, like cookies, cobblers, tiramisu, trifles, truffles and so on.
This seems to be a very British book, which makes the narrative portions of the book super amusing to my American mind. The omnipresent word “squidgey,” as well its comparative and superlative forms, just makes me laugh. And some of the uniquely British imagery - like eggs being the stern headmistress of brownie school or a test toothpick emerging with a sexy cladding of crumbs - is really entertaining.
I received this book as a digital advance reader copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. I haven’t made any of the recipes from this book yet, but I will update this review when I do.
April 9, 2022
Thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book. All opinions are solely mine.
I was so excited to be able to read this cookbook. Why? Because I love brownies! And a cookbook related to just brownies has to be perfection, right? Right! The Brownie Diaries is almost perfect for my household. Why? Because unfortunately, there is a nut allergy in my house, and some of the most delicious-sounding recipes contain nuts. Maybe I can kick the husband out to have nutty brownies? I won’t do that because I would miss him too much.
There are a couple of things of note about the book that I did not know before beginning. As the book is from the UK, a few items are unusual for a North American audience. The oven temperature in the recipes is Celsius instead of Fahrenheit. The measurements of the ingredients are by weight in grams instead of being measured in cups or even ounces.
Before this book, I was always anxious about making brownies that involved melting bars of chocolate because the recipes always made it sound like you had to use the expensive chocolate bars. The Brownie Diaries proves this wrong! Hyslop even states she used the cheap store brand bars while testing many of the recipes.
I was so excited to be able to read this cookbook. Why? Because I love brownies! And a cookbook related to just brownies has to be perfection, right? Right! The Brownie Diaries is almost perfect for my household. Why? Because unfortunately, there is a nut allergy in my house, and some of the most delicious-sounding recipes contain nuts. Maybe I can kick the husband out to have nutty brownies? I won’t do that because I would miss him too much.
There are a couple of things of note about the book that I did not know before beginning. As the book is from the UK, a few items are unusual for a North American audience. The oven temperature in the recipes is Celsius instead of Fahrenheit. The measurements of the ingredients are by weight in grams instead of being measured in cups or even ounces.
Before this book, I was always anxious about making brownies that involved melting bars of chocolate because the recipes always made it sound like you had to use the expensive chocolate bars. The Brownie Diaries proves this wrong! Hyslop even states she used the cheap store brand bars while testing many of the recipes.
February 23, 2022
This is an excellent brownie cookbook...if you live in the UK. The variety of recipes is great and they all sound so appealing. There are explanations of food science that are helpful and easy to understand, as well as a good guide to basic baking techniques. The conversational tone, humor, and asides make for fun reading. The photography is truly outstanding for a cookbook--the brownies are presented very creatively and look delectable!
Unfortunately, some things just don't translate well. As an American, as awesome as these recipes look, I probably wouldn't go to the trouble of converting all the weights and measures, figuring out/finding uniquely British ingredients, and translating the "separated by a common language" text. That said, if you're in the UK or buying a book for someone who is, this is an excellent choice!
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.
Unfortunately, some things just don't translate well. As an American, as awesome as these recipes look, I probably wouldn't go to the trouble of converting all the weights and measures, figuring out/finding uniquely British ingredients, and translating the "separated by a common language" text. That said, if you're in the UK or buying a book for someone who is, this is an excellent choice!
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.
January 16, 2023
Love brownies? Who doesn’t? The Brownie Diaries: My recipes for happy times, heartbreak and everything in between
is a love story to brownies, and the author, Leah Hyslop shows her love in delightful vignettes and stories about the brownies featured in this fun cookbook. Even though I think of brownies as chocolate (brown), Hyslop has included recipes for dozens of flavors of brownies and blondies. Actually, there isn’t one recipe that doesn’t appeal, and anyone reading this cookbook will immediately get to work preparing at least one type brownie or blondie every day.
The recipes are written in the traditional way so they are easy to follow, and the recipes are mostly quite easy. There is a recipe included for every day to fancy days. Hyslop has also thought of clever names for the myriad of brownies and blondies, and it is an enjoyable read whether you’re planning to bake or not.
The photographs are beautiful, and there is a photograph of every recipe, which is, as far as I’m concerned, absolutely necessary for those of us who choose our recipes based on visibility.
All told, this is not only an excellent cookbook, but it should be on every cookbook shelf. The recipes can be made easily by both beginning and seasoned bakers, and frankly, there is no excuse to skip making brownies for any occasion. Highly recommended.
Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.
is a love story to brownies, and the author, Leah Hyslop shows her love in delightful vignettes and stories about the brownies featured in this fun cookbook. Even though I think of brownies as chocolate (brown), Hyslop has included recipes for dozens of flavors of brownies and blondies. Actually, there isn’t one recipe that doesn’t appeal, and anyone reading this cookbook will immediately get to work preparing at least one type brownie or blondie every day.
The recipes are written in the traditional way so they are easy to follow, and the recipes are mostly quite easy. There is a recipe included for every day to fancy days. Hyslop has also thought of clever names for the myriad of brownies and blondies, and it is an enjoyable read whether you’re planning to bake or not.
The photographs are beautiful, and there is a photograph of every recipe, which is, as far as I’m concerned, absolutely necessary for those of us who choose our recipes based on visibility.
All told, this is not only an excellent cookbook, but it should be on every cookbook shelf. The recipes can be made easily by both beginning and seasoned bakers, and frankly, there is no excuse to skip making brownies for any occasion. Highly recommended.
Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.
January 25, 2022
“Brownies have a near miraculous ability to make us feel good” begins this ooey, gooey cookbook filled with irresistible brownie recipes. My only concern is that every recipe is written using metric measurements so conversion is required for us Americans. It would have been handy had the author included both measurement units. I really enjoyed the recipe titles, very cute! From “can I have brownies for breakfast brownies” made with Nutella, bananas and cereal crunch to “the emergency brownie” a brownie for one made in a mug. There is a vegan and a gluten free option and so many delicious blondies such as, Pina Colada and Red Velvet Raspberry Cheesecake, yum! Publication date is April 12, 2022
Thank you Netgalley, Bloomsbury USA, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you Netgalley, Bloomsbury USA, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
May 10, 2022
Leah Hyslop writes that her recipe for “Ultimate Fudge Brownies” is a classic for a reason, and the one recipe that everyone should have in their box. I agree wholeheartedly! Buy good ingredients, and mix up this simple but delicious recipe to cure what ails you or your family. (I stashed a few of them in the back of my freezer against a desperate day.)
Don’t be put off by the UK measurements and temperatures. A quick web search will help you convert anything you need.
I don’t bake a lot of sweets, and may not get far past the first recipe in the book, but its a great one to have and use over and over.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Don’t be put off by the UK measurements and temperatures. A quick web search will help you convert anything you need.
I don’t bake a lot of sweets, and may not get far past the first recipe in the book, but its a great one to have and use over and over.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 7, 2022
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a fun book!
There's so many brownie recipes to choose from! From blondies to gluten free brownies and everything in between this book has a variety of recipes to make brownies from scratch. There are some pictures of the brownies, but I would have liked more. The recipes are in metric by grams and not cups which requires some conversion for Americans. While some of the recipes require some time or knowledge of baking, they are generally easy to understand or do. There are also funny footnotes and anecdotes throughout the book.
Overall a nice find!
This is a fun book!
There's so many brownie recipes to choose from! From blondies to gluten free brownies and everything in between this book has a variety of recipes to make brownies from scratch. There are some pictures of the brownies, but I would have liked more. The recipes are in metric by grams and not cups which requires some conversion for Americans. While some of the recipes require some time or knowledge of baking, they are generally easy to understand or do. There are also funny footnotes and anecdotes throughout the book.
Overall a nice find!
March 3, 2022
Thank you, NetGalley, Leah Hyslop and Bloomsbury USA for the book The Brownie Diaries. This is my personal review.
I am a cookbook lover. This one being about brownies was one I wanted to read.
I liked the variety of recipes in the book. The photos were appealing but I would liked to have seen more in the book. When a cookbook has a large number of photos showing the finished product it is a huge plus for me.
The recipes were all in metric so a few cooks would have to convert to do the recipe.
I have found that making brownies from scratch makes my family so happy. Brownies are a go to dessert in our house and I am eager to buy this book to add to my collection.
I am a cookbook lover. This one being about brownies was one I wanted to read.
I liked the variety of recipes in the book. The photos were appealing but I would liked to have seen more in the book. When a cookbook has a large number of photos showing the finished product it is a huge plus for me.
The recipes were all in metric so a few cooks would have to convert to do the recipe.
I have found that making brownies from scratch makes my family so happy. Brownies are a go to dessert in our house and I am eager to buy this book to add to my collection.
July 25, 2022
I liked the size of this book. I loved the pictures.
I wish the recipes had American measurements as well. I don't NEED them, but for some reason, I wanted them.
I liked the sections and themes connected to moods.
But, I will stand by my belief that a blondie is NOT a brownie. There were too many blondies for me in this book.
I wish the recipes had American measurements as well. I don't NEED them, but for some reason, I wanted them.
I liked the sections and themes connected to moods.
But, I will stand by my belief that a blondie is NOT a brownie. There were too many blondies for me in this book.
February 18, 2022
An American NetGalley user searched "cookbooks" and was caught up by this delightful British volume. She enjoyed it, and eagerly awaits an opportunity to make some of these recipes. Alas, she ran out of chocolate. She is planning on updating with a more thorough review when the opportunity arises!
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September 12, 2022I love blondies and brownies and I’m usually more than ready to throw all sorts of additions at them. But none of the recipes here spoke to me. Probably more a me thing right now than anything to do with the book.
March 6, 2022
This was a cute book with quite a few surprisingly unique brownie recipes. The photography is great too.
May 14, 2022
Cute, little book filled with all sorts of brownie and blondie recipes!
July 19, 2022
Interesting and creative. Had to return it to the library before I could try any recipes, but I think I’ll be taking it out again to do just that.
July 20, 2022
So many brownies so little time to make 'em !
November 17, 2024
lonesome tonight brownies
i think i love you brownies
birthday blondies
halloween brownies
cracked brownie cookies
i think i love you brownies
birthday blondies
halloween brownies
cracked brownie cookies
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews